You know how you start researching your family tree, expecting to find some old photographs, a few census records, and maybe an interesting story or two?
And then you discover you’re related to someone who was part of country music history?
Yeah. THAT happened. 🤣
Meet John Milborn Rion, better known as Johnny Rion.
Country musician. Songwriter. Radio personality.
And my great-granduncle.
On my dad’s side of the family.
Oh, and did I mention he was born right here in Farmington, Missouri?
Because apparently, I didn’t have to travel very far to find a fascinating piece of history hiding in my own family tree.
If you’ve read my earlier post, I Have 18,000+ People in My Family Tree, and My Curiosity Is Only Just Beginning, you already know I have a tendency to disappear down genealogy rabbit holes. 🤣 Well, THIS is exactly why. You never know what you might discover!
A Farmington Boy With a Love for Music
Johnny was born on May 20, 1916, in Farmington, Missouri, to John David Rion and Maude Rose Crawford.
He grew up during an extraordinary time in American history, when radio was transforming the way people discovered and enjoyed music.
And Johnny became part of that world.
His career took him into country music, radio broadcasting, songwriting, and live entertainment.
He was associated with a venue known as Johnny Rion Hillbilly Park, where country music and live performances brought people together.
One of the records I’ve found in my ancestry research even documents his music being played in September 1937.
1937!
There’s something incredible about finding a little piece of evidence that someone in your family was out there doing something they loved nearly ninety years ago.
Wait. Elvis?!
Now, here’s where things get particularly interesting.
While researching Johnny’s career, I came across accounts connecting him to the early days of Elvis Presley’s performances in St. Louis.
Yes.
THAT Elvis Presley.
The accounts suggest Johnny helped promote Elvis’s local appearances in 1955, before Elvis became the worldwide phenomenon we know today.
I’m still digging into the original historical records to learn exactly what role Johnny played, but can you imagine stumbling across THAT while researching your family tree?!
Because I certainly didn’t have an Elvis connection on my genealogy bingo card. 🤣
And there’s so much more I want to learn about the performers Johnny worked with, the places he played, and the music he helped bring to audiences.
Eighty Years of Music History
Johnny lived until December 31, 1996.
Think about everything that happened during his eighty years.
The Great Depression.World War II.
The rise of country radio.
The birth of rock and roll.
Elvis Presley becoming the King of Rock and Roll.
The Beatles taking America by storm.
Michael Jackson going from a little boy singing with his brothers to becoming the King of Pop.
From records and radio to cassette tapes, CDs, and the earliest days of digital music.
Can you IMAGINE witnessing all of that?!
And Johnny wasn’t simply watching music history unfold. He was making music during some of its most transformative decades.
A man from Farmington, Missouri.
A man who also happens to be part of my family.
I think that’s pretty incredible.
A Little Piece of Family History Lives On
And here’s the part that makes this connection especially meaningful to me.
My youngest son, Colton, has the middle name Rion.
Colton Rion. ❤️
We chose that name as a nod to this branch of my dad’s family, a little way of carrying our ancestry forward into another generation.
And I love that.
Because family history isn’t just about looking backward.
It’s about the pieces of our past that we choose to bring with us.
Someday, Colton might find himself digging through our family tree, just like I’m doing now.
Maybe he’ll discover Johnny’s photographs, read about his music career, and learn about the people who came before him.
And when he does, I hope he understands that his name carries a little piece of their story.
A connection between generations.
A reminder that the people who came before us aren’t necessarily as far away as they seem.
There’s Always Another Story
I’ve actually visited Johnny’s grave here in Farmington.
And I love knowing that this fascinating little piece of country music history is connected to the very place I call home.
I still have so much I want to learn about him.
His songs. His radio career. His performances. The people he knew.
I’ve even discovered references to historical recordings and interviews that I hope to explore.
Because that’s the thing about ancestry.
You start with one name, and suddenly you’re discovering an entire life.
And sometimes that life connects to history in ways you never expected.
Johnny Rion may have been part of country music’s past, but his family name is still part of our family’s present.
And that makes this story especially worth telling.❤️Have you ever discovered an unexpected connection in your family tree? I’d love to hear about it!
IMME (I M ME)
Kelly
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